Bring Your Own Bag

Why Bring Your Own Bag?

Start a habit you'll be proud to flaunt: remember your own bags every time you go to the store.
It's one simple way to go green in your daily life. And when people see you're making the right choice, they're likely to do it too.

Some paper & plastic statistics

Each year the United States consumes 30 billion plastic and 10 billion paper grocery bags, requiring 14 million trees1 and 12 million barrels of oil.2

The pulp and paper industry is the 2nd largest industrial user of energy in the U.S.3

More than 46,000 pieces of plastic contaminate each square mile of our oceans.4

Only 1% of plastic bags are recycled annually nationwide.6

Solutions in the San Francisco Bay Area

San Francisco: Banned plastic bags at large chain supermarkets and pharmacies in 2007 and is currently considering extending the ban to all retailers and including a charge on recycled-content paper bags.

Palo Alto: Banned plastic bags at large supermarkets.

Fairfax: Banned plastic bags at all supermarkets.

San Jose: Adopted a ban on plastic bags and a charge on recycled-content paper bags at all retailers which is set to go into effect January, 2012.

Marin County: Adopted a ban on plastic bags and a charge on paper bags at large supermarkets, pharmacies and convenience stores which will go into effect in 2012.

Solutions from around the world

Alaska: 30 communities have instituted bans on the distribution of non-biodegradable plastic bag.

Australia: The government and Australian Retailers Association agreed to reduce plastic bag use by 25 percent by 2004 and 50 percent by 2005.